Introducing… A Multimedia Mash-up Masterpiece!
So, what do you get when you combine cool apps, awesome web tools, an unforgettable field trip and two tech savvy middle schoolers ? A terrific mash-up highlighting one of the most favorite BAMS activities of all time—the Camp Blue Diamond adventure—created by students for students.
That’s right! Every spring our sixth grade students journey to Petersburg, PA for a three day two night once-in-a-lifetime environmental educational experience that allows them to get up close and personal with the great outdoors through a series of fun and motivating lessons, activities, projects and guest speakers. From learning about birds of prey to canoeing and geocaching to dissecting owl pellets and building bluebird houses, this trip is is truly a memorable one!
And that’s why each year my Tech Club students create a digital keepsake highlighting the annual event—only this time around we added a few new cool tools to the mix. In conjunction with utilizing Animoto to produce a snazzy video, we also created an interactive image using two additional edtech gems—Thinglink and the InstaPlace app—to create a multimedia mash-up masterpiece!
Check out the results below! Be sure to hover over the image to view the hotspots!
Awesome job, Aubree and Riley! Your mash-up is the bomb diggity!
Classroom Connection:
OK, so we all know how vital it is for our students to possess digital literacy skills—or at least I hope that’s the case! Well, in the event that you missed the memo, digital literacy is more than simply knowing how to use digital tools. It is the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate, and analyze information using digital technology. Being literate in the 21st Century is also about knowing what info to share, who to share it with and how to do so in a safe and secure manner.
That said, providing opportunities for students to create mash-ups—to organize, to collaborate, to produce, to think, to share, to demonstrate skills using a variety of tools—not only addresses essential digital literacy competencies, but these kinds of activities allow students to acquire and/or hone 21st Century skills as well. Plus, it’s alot of fun!
So, what are you waiting for? Dig into that tech box and find a few of your favorite tools to mash together!
For more information about integrating Thinglink and/or the InstaPlace app into classroom activities, check out my Educate with Thinglink and Create Virtual Postcards with InstaPlace posts.